T20

India vs Pakistan Asian Games Final 2026: Preview and Time

Published on October 1, 2026

Summary Overview: India face Pakistan for Asian Games 2026 cricket gold on October 3, Pakistan's first ever men's final. Bangladesh play Sri Lanka for bronze. Preview, semi-final recap and times in local, IST and ET.

Gold on the Line: India vs Pakistan in Pakistan's First Ever Asian Games Final

Who is playing for gold?

Defending champions India face Pakistan in the gold medal match on Saturday, October 3 in Nisshin, Japan.

Why is this final historic for Pakistan?

It is the first time Pakistan's men have ever reached an Asian Games cricket final. Their best result before this was bronze in 2010.

Who plays for bronze?

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the two beaten semi-finalists, meet earlier the same day.

The Story: The Final Everyone Wanted

After a week in which rain washed out all four quarter-finals, the Asian Games cricket competition has ended up with exactly the final most fans hoped for. India vs Pakistan, the biggest rivalry in the sport, with a gold medal at stake.

For readers new to this event: the Asian Games is a multi-sport competition, like a continental version of the Olympics, and cricket is played in the T20 format. Instead of a trophy, the winners get gold medals, the runners-up silver and the third-place team bronze.

Semi-Final 1: Pakistan Make History

Pakistan's semi-final against Bangladesh was delayed by a wet outfield and cut to 13 overs a side. Bangladesh made 111 for 7, with Towhid Hridoy top-scoring on 42 and leg-spinner Sufyan Moqim taking 3 for 26.

The chase started badly. Pakistan lost both openers within the first two overs, but Saim Ayub hit a quick 21 to steady them. Then Abdul Samad (30 not out) and Hasan Nawaz put on an unbeaten 59-run partnership to take Pakistan home by 6 wickets with 9 balls to spare. It was the furthest Pakistan's men's side has ever gone at the Asian Games.

Semi-Final 2: India Crush Sri Lanka

The second semi-final was not a contest. India were 24 for 2 early on a cracked pitch that helped the spinners, but Ishan Kishan played a superb innings of 80 not out off 46 balls. Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, brought into the side for this game, added 38, and India reached 169 for 7.

That proved far too many. Sri Lanka collapsed to 45 all out in just 9.5 overs, with three run-outs. Abhishek Sharma (2 for 2), Jasprit Bumrah (2 for 7) and Axar Patel (2 for 8) shared the wickets, and India finished with a team hat-trick. The 124-run margin is India's biggest ever T20 international win over Sri Lanka.

Pakistan's Long Wait for a Final

Pakistan are one of cricket's great powers, which makes their Asian Games record surprising:

2010, Guangzhou: bronze medal.
2014, Incheon: no medal.
2023, Hangzhou: lost the semi-final to Afghanistan, then lost the bronze medal match to Bangladesh.

Part of the reason is that Pakistan have often sent development squads to the Games because of clashes with their senior schedule. This time, a young side has gone further than any Pakistan team before it, and is one win from a first gold.

India: Champions Looking to Defend

India are the defending champions. They won gold in 2023, when their final against Afghanistan was washed out and they were awarded the title on their higher ranking. Their semi-final win over Sri Lanka showed they are in commanding form, and they will start the final as favourites.

The Bronze Medal Match: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka

Before the final, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka meet for bronze, and both have a proud Asian Games history.

Bangladesh won the very first men's gold in 2010, and took bronze in both 2014 and 2023. Sri Lanka won gold in 2014. Sri Lanka will need to recover quickly from their semi-final collapse, while Bangladesh will hope to repeat their 2023 bronze-medal win.

Medal Match Schedule (Local, IST and ET)

Both matches are on Saturday, October 3 at the Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. Local time is Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9). IST is UTC+5:30, and ET is US Eastern (EDT, UTC-4). Because Japan is so far ahead, the bronze match starts on Friday evening in the US.

Match	Teams	Local (JST)	IST	ETI
Bronze Medal Match	Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka	Sat Oct 3, 9:00 AM	Sat Oct 3, 5:30 AM	Fri Oct 2, 8:00 PM
Gold Medal Match	India vs Pakistan	Sat Oct 3, 1:30 PM	Sat Oct 3, 10:00 AM	Sat Oct 3, 12:30 AM

What If It Rains?

Rain has been the story of this tournament, so it is worth knowing the rule. According to reports ahead of the final, if the gold medal match is completely washed out, India and Pakistan would share the gold medal rather than one side settling for silver.